


Falling Asleep On The Job

by LiinHaglund



Category: Weiß Kreuz
Genre: Alternate Universe, Canon-Typical Violence, Dysfunctional Family, Gen, High School, Out of Character, Running Away, Sleep Deprivation, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-24
Updated: 2012-05-24
Packaged: 2018-04-28 02:52:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5074660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiinHaglund/pseuds/LiinHaglund
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Omi joins Weiss last - to escape his crazy family.</p><p>Sometimes he wonders if he will ever fit in.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Falling Asleep On The Job

 

It wasn't easy being dumped in a group of assassins. When Omi had run away and sought sanctuary with his uncle he hadn't expected to be placed here... Even if he supposed the older boys all could protect themselves they had no reason to protect him. On the plus side there was little chance of his family finding him here. Who _would_ look for a spoiled rich kid among a bunch of drop-outs running a flower shop?

He sometimes found it hard to remember to think of himself as Omi. Especially when he wrote his name on schoolwork or tests – sometimes he spent more time on his name than on the test. It was so easy to forget and just write Takatori Mamorou.

It was almost pointless to bother making a nice impression anyway, when he had been introduced to the group the leader had looked at him once and muttered his real last name like a curse. As if it was the worst thing under the sun. Omi wondered how he knew when the other two hadn't. The redhead had scared him ever since.

He smiled automatically when the bell chimed, but it was just the old lady, Momoe, who shooed her fat cat inside. The cat was friendly and easy to like. Omi had always wanted a pet, but his older brother Masafumi always killed anything small and harmless-looking to see how it was put together.

Behind Omi by the worktable Aya methodically finished up bouquets of flowers that were to be delivered as soon as Ken returned. Omi sat by the counter and did his homework between customers. The other two didn't mind if he did half-assed bouquets as long as he worked, but Aya was a perfectionist.

He tried hard to be seen as one of the others, like an equal, but there were moments when he felt hopelessly out of his depth and just wanted to be a kid. Usually on days like today, when nothing went his way. He had been popular in school before, but not now. Not when he was a weirdo who worked all the time, not when he was _poor_. He missed the comforts of being rich, but not enough to go back to his family.

Never that.

For the third time he caught himself before he asked Aya for help with his homework. If he asked and Aya glared at him as he was wont to do... he didn't need that today. It was enough that people teased him in school and sometimes outright bullied him.

Aya was an odd guy. There was the obviously fake name, the complete lack of a past, Kritiker's silence, Aya's silence. The way Aya never seemed to relax, the way he obviously knew too many ways to kill someone. Omi knew how to kill too now, was damned good at it, but Aya made everything look so effortless and he was jealous.

Ken interrupted his musings and shattered the peace he hadn't realized was there. It had felt almost pleasant to be alone with Aya, he realized. Before Ken barged in and shouted that he would just drink some water in the kitchen before he was ready for the next batch of deliveries. Omi picked his pen up from the floor, he rarely got startled like that anymore. Trust Ken to bring out the clumsy child in him. At least Aya either hadn't noticed or didn't care.

Aya had all the delivery bouquets done and marked up properly. He briefed Ken on them and then helped the jock carry it all out. They weren't normally so busy, but Kritiker had helped them out by placing ads in a few magazines.

Aya was not someone Omi expected to ever warm up to. He had planned on being coolly professional. It was just that Aya did little things that somehow made it all better, like fixing the broken handle on the door to the bathroom. Like remembering what Omi liked to eat when he went to the grocery store.

“Omi?” Aya's voice whipped out like a command. “You've been on the same page all evening, pack up.”

Omi cursed as his pen landed on the floor a second time. Rude. That was Aya. Blunt. More often than not, unfortunately, Aya was also right. Stuck in his good boy routine, Omi obediently did as ordered. It was time to close the store up anyway. He should go to his room so his thoughts weren't so distracting.

 

* * *

 

Omi normally took the bike Kritiker had given him for transportation to the new school. It was currently stuck in a repair shop for weeks after a rough mission, so he walked and took public transport. Everything took so much longer this way.

He wondered if the telekinetic kid in Schwarz had to walk to school. Did he even go? Was he tutored? Omi tried picturing the manic redhead driving the boy to school and snickered. The other boy seemed so spoiled and smug, Omi assumed he had no idea what it was like to struggle through life.

“Hey, pretty boy! Get in the car!”

Omi turned, expecting his bullies, only to see Youji in his outrageous sports car. Right outside his school. Where people would see them together.

Not sure exactly what flew into him, he screamed “Pervert!” and ran off on foot. He felt bad for it the second he was around the block. Youji was a nice guy, just slutty and goofy. He'd make it up to him when he wasn't so embarrassed. He was picked on enough, dammit! It wasn't his fault he was small and cute!

It took him a while to get home, and when he did he realized _why_ Youji had been by his school to pick him up. Manx was there. Mission.

“See me doing anything nice for you ever again,” Youji huffed.

“Sorry,” Omi said meekly.

Manx was unimpressed as well. She often was, so Omi assumed she was just like that. She was his uncle's secretary. She might look nice, but that was just the face. She was as tough as Aya and only slightly nicer.

 

* * *

 

Any other night he'd talk to Youji when he had nightmares. The blond understood nightmares and was usually awake in the middle of the night. It was just that things were still a little tense between them.

Ken might understand, but he wasn't much for talking about serious things. He preferred lighter subjects, like sports or bikes or gadgets. It was a deflection, of course, but Omi had no reason to dig.

Omi discounted Aya based on the fact that it was Aya. Even if he probably would understand, Aya would never give him a pat on the back. He seemed too cold and distant.

He held his warm tea mug in both hands and frowned. He hadn't slept more than two hours, maybe less, and he was so tired his eyes felt grainy and dry. Professional assassin Bombay, afraid to sleep. No wonder Schwarz treated them like a joke.

He sat until morning, then reluctantly got ready for school. The cover demanded he go, it would look odd if he didn't. The classes didn't interest him and he would have liked to skip just to have some more time to himself, but his Japanese work ethic demanded perfection at the cost of leisure time.

In a daze, he mechanically sat through his classes. He was somewhat used to this, after a few long missions and whatnot, so he didn't see any cause for alarm. He'd make up for it. Sometime.

His homeroom teacher gave him a note for his parents. Omi looked at it questioningly. He looked up at the teacher when the man said he had already called home. Omi never got these. His grades were always good, as far as he knew he just had a few attendance issues but nothing major.

Still, the sealed note felt a bit like a snake in his hand. He tucked it into his bag and went back to the place where he lived. He was curious who was listed as his legal guardian, but there had never been a need to know before. Manx was a possibility, but so was Momoe, Birman, and all three of his teammates.

Youji and Ken weren't there when he got back. Aya was minding the store with the old lady. Omi tried to act casual while he rushed by and made sure the note ended up in Aya's hand. No matter who was actually listed as his guardian, Aya would settle things with the school just because Aya didn't like to leave things half done.

As much as he loathed to admit it, he trusted Aya more than Ken or Youji. Ken wouldn't know what to do and Youji would just ignore it or make up some excuse for Omi. Aya was more dependable, even though he would probably give Omi a hard time.

He went to his room and threw his things in a corner. He was tired enough that he might sleep without dreaming, so he kicked most of his clothes off and went to bed.

 

* * *

 

His schoolwork was in more trouble than he had assumed. He wasn't failing, he was just slipping badly and his teachers were worried.

“Do you want a social worker to show up?” Aya asked. He hadn't bothered Omi the day before, and Omi had managed to slip away without seeing Aya that morning. It made little difference when Aya had showed up at his school to talk to him and his teachers just as his last class was finished.

“Of course not,” Omi said seriously. “It's just too much sometimes. I'll do better, I promise.”

They were alone for now, so Omi could let his cheery facade slip. He was so tired of always being happy, but he automatically perked up when the door opened and the teachers came in. There were three, his homeroom teacher and the two teaching subjects where he did the most poorly.

It was a long, boring talk. The teachers stressed how important education was and both he and Aya nodded along. When it was over Omi gladly followed Aya to his car. He had extra assignments that would make up for the poor work and attendance.

Aya had a posh car, but it wasn't new. And it wasn't the love of his life, unlike Youji's car was probably his. It was the one they usually took to missions. Aya could change license plates in under two minutes, which was kinda cool. Necessary, but cool.

“Drop some shifts in the store,” Aya said when he started the car. “You can't work around the clock.”

“I'm not a kid,” Omi bristled.

Aya gave him a look that clearly said he thought otherwise.

“What do you care anyway?”

“I try not to,” Aya said quietly. “Life would be easier if I didn't care about people.”

“This is the most I've heard you say. Ever.”

He got an annoyed look and nothing else. Aya didn't talk to him for the rest of the drive home, and Omi didn't see him for the rest of the day. It was probably for the better. He huddled up in his bed and did the assignments before something showed up that would stop him.

Once he would have procrastinated. Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow. He hadn't worried about things like missions screwing up his time. He could have thrown a party and invited his friends. Briefly he wondered if they would still like him as Omi, or if they just liked him because of his family's status and money.

 

* * *

 

He took care to get his good grades. The teachers were happy. He did it with the aid of energy drinks and less sleep, and felt oddly proud that he hadn't taken any advice from Aya. He was being stupid, but he wanted to follow his own path.

It had worked great for over two months. But last week they got a research heavy mission and the days were just never long enough. The caffeinated drinks started losing effect, and he didn't dare mix it with something stronger. He needed his brain. He wasn't built for the more physically intensive fighting, he had to be the smart one.

Aya and Youji weren't dumb, even though Youji played at it, they could do his job. Had before, probably. Ken was the muscle. If Omi disappeared – would they miss him?

At least having his bike again meant less time spent on useless things like travel. He cut back on a lot. Food, time in the bath, time spent being social with his team.

“Hey geek-boy,” Youji shouted. “I'm home, time to go to bed.”

Omi could hear him tumble into his own room and fall on the bed. Good old Youji, reliable like clockwork. If his line of work didn't kill him then STDs, lung cancer or liver failure would finish the job. It was a slow suicide, nothing else. Someone should intervene, but Kritiker obviously wanted them to be run down and depressed. It made them better killers.

He stayed up for a little while to finish what he was doing, fully intending to catch at least a few hours of sleep, but his alarm went off. Time for school.

Omi growled. Where did the time go?

He hadn't slept last night either.

 

* * *

 

Not sure what day it was or why his alarm hadn't gone off, Omi sat up in bed. He felt a little off. Disorientated and floaty. All he knew for sure was that it was afternoon, because the sun was shining through his window.

He showered, dressed and went to the kitchen. Whatever day it was he figured he would have to remember what he had to do before he could actually do it.

There was a note on the fridge with his name on it. It looked like Ken's handwriting. Opening it just revealed, “hope you had a nice nap,” and a decidedly unfriendly smiley. Omi tried to make sense of it. Had he missed time in the shop? It was too early for him to be on. Unless it was the weekend. Ken was clearly unhappy with him.

Making himself a quick breakfast of cereal and milk he tried to get his brain to spew out information about the last couple of days. Everything was a blur. It seemed lack of sleep and over-achievement had done him a number.

“Oh, if it isn't sleeping beauty,” Youji drawled when he came into the kitchen just as Omi finished eating. “Been to visit our friend in the hospital yet?”

“What?” Omi asked, worried all of a sudden.

“Oh, yeah, that's right! You never showed up so you wouldn't know,” Youji said viciously. “Well, let me get you up to speed. Aya's hurt. Bad. We sure could have used you last night, but you never showed. Worried us sick thinking something had happened to you. But no, you were safe in bed... sleeping like a baby.”

Omi panicked. He couldn't have missed a mission, could he?

Youji got himself a bottle of soda from the fridge, a habit he only got into when he was injured or sick. Normally he stuck to beer. “Whatever the fuck is wrong with you, you'd better snap out of it. Manx was so furious she couldn't even speak. Especially because we screwed up half the mission. Got the target, not the data. Aya made a valiant effort, but in the end Ken and I couldn't hold the guards off.”

When Omi started apologizing Youji just walked out, and Omi knew he would have to prove he meant it with actions instead of saying it. Suddenly needing to see Aya, he took care of his dirty dishes quickly.

He guessed neither Ken nor Youji wanted to see him at the moment, but he still walked into the flower shop. They shot him icy glares. Omi tried not to flinch. Truth be told, however, none of them could glare like Aya. “Which hospital?”

 

* * *

 

Aya was admitted under a fake name, with Youji listed as his brother. Omi had no trouble getting a nurse to tell him which room the redhead was in.

He felt like crap. He had never screwed up like this before. Never. He hoped his flawless record was enough to save him, Kritiker would not look kindly on this. He hoped Aya, Youji and Ken would forgive him too. He didn't feel like being transferred to a new team.

There were a lot of people milling everywhere, but Aya's room was empty save for Aya himself. Omi hesitated in the doorway, but then walked in. He had done some really difficult things in his life, and he knew most of the time hesitation brought nothing good.

“Hey,” Aya said softly. He looked like shit, and he was even paler than normal. Omi was barely aware of repeatedly apologizing until Aya reached out and grabbed his arm.

“It won't happen again,” Omi swore.

Aya sighed wearily. “I should have stopped you from pushing yourself so hard.”

“It's my fault,” Omi objected.

“Partly, yes,” Aya agreed. He still held on to Omi's arm. “And you'll have some making up to do.”

“Partly?” A female voice asked from the doorway.

“We talked about this,” Aya said in warning.

Omi didn't dare turn to face Manx.

“Rather unconventional way of getting the data,” Manx went on to say.

“Shut up, I got it.” Aya patted Omi's arm, but his face was turned to Manx. “It's not like I've never seen a computer before.”

“Who exactly were you bartering with?” Manx asked. “Persia is breathing down my neck saying it'll either be trouble or we have an untapped resource I should have known about.”

Ran grinned slyly. “I'll give you a full report when they ease up on the pain meds.”

“Bombay, there won't be a second time,” Manx said instead of a more standard goodbye and left.

“She's been by almost every hour,” Aya muttered. “Never knew she had maternal instincts.”

“How bad is it?”

“Just a bullet wound. Bled a bit. Hurts like Hell.”

Omi looked Aya over. “It doesn't look like just a bullet wound.”

“If you're staying make yourself useful and get me some proper tea. And food. I don't know how people survive in hospitals with the food they serve.”

Omi huffed to stop himself from laughing. “Alright. Food and tea.”

 

* * *

 

It felt like defeat, in a way, to drop a couple of shifts in the shop in order to make a sustainable schedule that would allow him to sleep at night. Aya had suggested it months ago and Omi bitterly recognized that Aya knew better.

He felt even more defeated when Aya bullied Ken and Youji into allowing it. He was still scary, even banged up and with one arm in a sling. Turned out it _was_ a lot more than a bullet wound. And ' _bled a bit_ ' had been a gross understatement. If he hadn't been unconscious when Youji dumped him in the ER he likely would have claimed he could walk it off.

It was embarrassing that Aya insisted they all meet up both before and after every mission after that, rubbing it all in, but there was logic in it. The next mission he did Aya skipped out on, but the general consensus was that he was still healing, even if he was too proud to admit to that.

Schwarz's telepath was pleased when they faced off. It was all variations of “aw, little kitty needs a nap?” and “you're as nuts as the rest of your family” for as long as their face off lasted. At least Youji had dealt with Crawford. Omi didn't like the group, but his father's main bodyguard had given him nightmares more than once. Crawford was a cruel man, and he didn't seem to play by anyone's rules but his own.

Omi felt better when he got home, when he had a mug of hot tea to take his mind from the telepath and everything else wrong with the world. All he had to do before he could call it a day was file a report to Manx and then he could -

Do absolutely nothing on the internet until he had to sleep.

Omi swallowed the last of his tea, sent the report and turned the computer off. He wasn't in the mood for internet surfing. When he went to the kitchen to place his mug in the dishwasher – Aya threatened very creative things when they left dirty dishes laying around – he noticed that the other three were watching television.

He sat down with them because he had nothing better to do. It felt odd to be in there with all of them, with Aya next to him because that had been the only free spot. Youji and Ken were in an armchair each and Aya was on the couch.

There was a documentary running, something to do with a semi-recent political scandal in the US.

 

* * *

 

Omi looked at the small cake in surprise. Aya and he were alone for the weekend, and he never would have expected Aya to remember – let alone care. Not after all the trouble Omi had caused.

Still, there were little candles. Seventeen candles.

But, Aya did things like that. Things that made everything better. Like fixing the leaky tap in the kitchen. Like giving Omi's bullies the scare of their lives when Aya had realized he had trouble at school.

“Happy birthday,” Aya said quietly.

“Thank you.”

All the boys at school might spend birthdays on dates with their girlfriends, but quietly eating cake with Aya was better than the lavish party on his last birthday.

Masafumi had killed one of the guests that night.

It was why he had his in his uncle's car and later begged to be taken away.

Crawford had smirked when he had briskly walked out of his own party. As if it was all according to plan. The guy was creepy.

“Do you ever worry that the foreigners are planning something big and are just toying with us?” Omi blurted out. “Father never hired them. Schwarz. They just showed up one day. Crawford said something about a deal, then father threw me and my brothers out of the room.”

Aya shrugged. “We'll find out in due time.”

 

* * *

 

Youji had killed the target, but it gave Omi very little satisfaction that the dark beast was dead when he was busy running from two guard dogs. After who knew how many city blocks he ended up in a park and climbed a tree.

His lungs felt like they were bleeding and he barely managed to hold on to the thin branch. There was no use, he was too exhausted and he would fall. Omi closed his eyes.

The dogs weren't even tired. They barked and jumped to try to get him.

Suddenly one of the dogs abruptly stopped barking, then the other.

Opening his eyes he saw Aya nonchalantly wipe his blade clean. Ken and Youji were screaming over the radio that they were on their way.

“What did you do, teleport?” Omi asked as he fell down more than jumped.

“You need to work on your stamina.”

 

* * *

 

Aya looked different with his hair dyed a dark brown. In a suit, he looked more like a young professional. It made his usually sullen air seem more snobbish, less like he was pissed. Was this who he had been before Kritiker?

Omi was also formally dressed, but in a school uniform. “I look like Naoe Nagi,” he muttered.

“Telekinesis would be useful,” Aya mused. “Too bad his sugar daddy is a complete nutjob.”

“His _what_?”

 

* * *

 

After almost two years in Kritiker he turned eighteen. Omi was ecstatic when he came down for breakfast and there was a cake on the table.

“Happy birthday!” Ken shouted.

“Thank you!” Omi beamed.

Aya wasn't there. Omi knew he had a mission he was working on, but he had hoped the redhead would be there.

“Finally legal, eh Omi?” Youji joked.

“Youji!” Omi chided.

“Chill, pretty boy,” Youji drawled and lit the candles on the cake with his lighter. “Just blow these out and make a wish.”

 

* * *

 

Omi yawned as he wandered into the kitchen on autopilot. He was halfway through making breakfast when he realized Aya was at the table. “Good morning,” Omi said, startled.

 

 


End file.
